Why socket covers should NOT be used
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  1. #21
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    Socketman, please can I direct you to this thread -

    http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/...073#post960073

    I wonder if you might be able to support the member.

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    It's disheartening to see from the thread Sara links to that despite what Ofsted says there are still individual insepectors who haven't got the message.

    The text book for the Cypop5 course (which all potential childminders now have to do) Home-based Childcare by Sheila Riddall-Leech, published last year, gives this advice: 'Fit covers to all electric sockets'. In the relevant task, I said they were now known to be unsafe and gave the address of the Fatally Flawed website

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    Wow I didnt know this..I have emailed Ofsted to ask and when they reply I will have written evidence to show the inspector who is due here soon

    Becky

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    June brought this subject up with our Improvement Officer when she made her first visit last week! She was going away to research it!!!

  5. #25
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    I've added some policy writing help to the free downloads, there is a variety of information put together by myself, Sarah and David from Fatally Flawed, hopefully it will assist you in writing a policy on why you don't use socket covers.

    http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/fr...downloads.html

    down on the left under 'Policy Writing Ideas'

    Pauline x

  6. #26
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    Hi, Wow this is confusing - I had never heard of this being a problem before. Thank you for bringing it up I am soon to have my very first ofsted inspection. On balance do you think I am better off fitting covers (possibly appeasing an individual inspector) or leaving them off and hoping the inspector agrees with the party line?!
    Cheers!

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    I was quite surprised to receive 2 socket covers in a goody bag from our newly opened childrens centre yesterday. I was back at home before I got the stuff out, but will be asking about their inclusion when I go back next week.
    Grindal

  8. #28
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    I contacted Child Accident Protection Trust and ROSPA, they both said more or less the same thing



    The advice we have one of our websites is as follows:

    - Electrical sockets do not pose a significant threat to young children. Legislation requires all sockets to meet stringent safety requirements. Young children are unlikely to have the dexterity or patience needed to be able to access live parts inside the socket, as they are protected by a shutter. Little fingers wont fit.
    - Socket covers may stop young children plugging in heaters, hair straighteners and other appliances that can cause nasty burns – or even start a fire – but don’t rely on them as socket covers are not regulated. It’s much better to make sure the appliances are safely put away!

    When one looks at injury statistics, one finds that electrocution is extremely rare among children and is almost never associated with sockets.

    One problem you may have is that OFSTED seems to insist on socket covers for no good reason.

  9. #29
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    Thanks for that Bexc, I don't use socket covers and teach the children what they should not play with and why, it has worked so far. Afterall, many places that children go to with or without me do not have socket covers so it is better to teach them the risks. I wonder if nursery's have socket covers? If it isn't a requirement in the eyfs and I can show that I have balanced out the risks of not having them then I think ofsted should have to prove a case for using them before they can justify marking anyone down for not using them.

  10. #30
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    Thank you for reminding me about this. I stopped using socket covers when I read about this a while ago but never got round to changing my policy. Now it's all done and dusted
    Parents were invented to make children happy by giving them something to ignore.

  11. #31
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    Thanks for advice I am just updating risk assessments x

  12. #32
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    Been looking at the forum all night and this post really interests me. Just re-registered after having a 3 year break and when I had my unoffical childminding meeting, the NCA told me to make sure I had all my sockets covered ( which I was planning to as this is what I have always done). I was still in the middle of building work when I had my pre-inspection from Ofsted and they mentioned having my sockets covered too!

    Got my developement worker coming out this friday as a welcome thing, so wanted to show her this to see what she said, so tried to get somesort of printout from Ofsteds website to say I didnt need them, but cant find it anywhere on the site, does someone have the link to it please.

    Thanks Jackie

  13. #33
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    I have written on my risk assessment that l do not cover sockets and put the Fatally Flawed advice down.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by charlieamber View Post
    Been looking at the forum all night and this post really interests me. Just re-registered after having a 3 year break and when I had my unoffical childminding meeting, the NCA told me to make sure I had all my sockets covered ( which I was planning to as this is what I have always done). I was still in the middle of building work when I had my pre-inspection from Ofsted and they mentioned having my sockets covered too!

    Got my developement worker coming out this friday as a welcome thing, so wanted to show her this to see what she said, so tried to get somesort of printout from Ofsteds website to say I didnt need them, but cant find it anywhere on the site, does someone have the link to it please.

    Thanks Jackie
    You will find some information in free downloads at the top of the forum to support you.

    Also there was a paragraph in the latest Ofsted newsletter stating that Ofsted inspectors are wrong to comment about socket covers.

    Make sure they are all risk assessed and show that you are considering children's safety by talking to them about the dangers of sockets and you will be covered legally.

    Hth

  15. #35
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    Here's the link to the Ofsted report, it's B3 that talks about socket covers

    http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/e...september-2011
    Cherry x

  16. #36
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    Thumbs up OMG!!!

    My 1st inspection is due, and I had come onto the forum to look for some other help/ideas, and came across this thread.

    I cannot tell you how totally shocked I am, not just as a childminder, but as a parent, and previous nursery worker! I have never heard of this before, and cannot believe that socket covers are so dangerous!

    I am about to go and remove all of my socket covers, and will have to add updating the policy and risk assessments onto my never-ending list of things to get done before ofsted inspector arrives!

    Thanks to the forum poster for bringing this to everyone's attention!

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by charlieamber View Post

    Got my developement worker coming out this friday as a welcome thing, so wanted to show her this to see what she said, so tried to get somesort of printout from Ofsteds website to say I didnt need them, but cant find it anywhere on the site, does someone have the link to it please.

    Thanks Jackie
    MY DO worker came today as planned and I asked her about this, she still say Mrs O will want covers in place, told her am willing to argue why I shouldnt use them and was told, thats up to me, but what she knows is until something happens the ofsted inspectors she knows, will always want tthem in childminder and playgroups etc.
    Told her that I will stop using them and update RA and hopefully by next time I have my inspection ( should be around march next year) hopefully, Ofsted are also reading of the same song sheet as RoSPA!

  18. #38
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    Wow I was totaly unaware of this , I shall certainly give it some thought
    H4H supporter 'per mare per terram'

  19. #39
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    I was inspected in Sept and I don't have any socket covers. I had the Policy from the free downloads here, some info from Fatally Flawed and the comment from Ofsted all in my RA folder. I got Outstanding in all areas to do with keeping the children safe and child protection. The Inspector never even mentioned or asked about the lack of covers.

    As Sarah has said as long as you have a good RA then the inspector is not allowed to comment. Your DO is wrong.

  20. #40
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    My inspector didn't even look at any of my plug sockets (or my kitchen, toilet & upstairs), she came in sat on the sofa, I took the children out to play in the garden, apart from coming out to speak to me for about 10mins she sat on the sofa with my paperwork for 2hrs & didn't move (I could see her from the garden)! We even sat outside & had a picnic lunch in that time!

    There was nothing detailing why I didn't have plug sockets in my paperwork either!

    I got a good with outstanding areas!

 

 
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